Injured Rafael Nadal retires in fifth set

Marin Cilic will play Kyle Edmund in the semi-finals of the Australian Open after Rafael Nadal retired during the deciding set of their clash with a hip problem.

The world No 1 appeared on course to yet another grand slam semi-final when he moved two sets to one in front but he called for the trainer after going a break down in the fourth set.

Nadal took a medical time-out but was clearly hampered in his movement and, after limping around the court for two games at the start of the fifth set, he headed to the net to shake hands.

The 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 2-0 victory gave Cilic a first victory over Nadal since 2009 and sent him through to his first Australian Open semi-final since defeat by Andy Murray in 2010.

Cilic said: “It was an unbelievable performance from both of us. It’s really unfortunate for Rafa. He’s an unbelievable competitor, always gives his best.

Cilic and Edmund have played once before, with the Croatian winning in straight sets in Shanghai last October.

“He’s had an amazing run,” said Cilic. “A few five setters, tough battles, and then a great match today. Big congratulations to him for making the semi-finals. Kyle is also a big hitter, big serve, big forehand, so I have to take care of my side of the court.”

Nadal had eased into the fourth round but then had a real battle with diminutive Argentinian Diego Schwartzman lasting nearly four hours.

He knew he would have to be more aggressive against Cilic and for a set he was. All looked rosy for Nadal when he broke to lead 3-2 in the second set but there the matched changed.

Cilic had allowed himself to be dictated to but the Croatian began to unleash his ferocious groundstrokes and earned his reward, breaking the Nadal serve twice in a row and then serving out the second set.

Cilic carried his momentum into the third set and really should have won it but Nadal showed typical powers of resistance before coming through a topsy-turvy tie-break.

Greg Rusedski in his post-match analysis feels that Cilic was spurred into action when the chair umpire handed him a time violation in the second set as Nadal broke for a 3-2 lead. The Croatian fuming at the telling off won the next four games to level the match.

His aggressive approach began to frustrate Nadal long before the Spaniard suffered his injury during the fourth set and should be commended for his positive play throughout.

It’s a shame Cilic won through this way, but I support Rusedski’s thinking that the match was very much in the balance before injury struck.

General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has predicted a ray of hope for Nigerians.

In his New Year message and predictions delivered during the Crossover Service at the RCCG camp on the Lagos –Ibdan Expressway, Adeboye said: “Many Nigerians will wake up in 2018 to realise that their future is not in the hands of any government and as a result, a lot of lost grounds will be reclaimed.

“Some significant Goliaths will fall, just as before the end of 2018, there will be rays of hope that all will still be well in Nigeria.”

He also announced that God told him that the countdown to the overthrow had begun in earnest, adding that the approval of sodomy in some countries and the perennial climate change were instruments to hasten the apocalypse.

His specific predictions are:

Erstwhile stubborn mountains will move.

Many people will wake up to realise that their future is not in the hand of any government and as a result a lot of lost ground will be reclaimed.

Saboteurs will be disgraced and displaced.

Significant Goliaths will fall.

Before the end of the year, there will be rays of hope that all will still be well.

On the international level, he said:

This year there will be less fire outbreaks but there will be more floods.

Pastor Tunde Bakare, Serving Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly, said he has been told by God to run for the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not end his political career.

Pastor Bakare in 2011 had contested alongside current President Mohammodu Buhari as his running mate on the platform on the defunct Congress for Pregressive Change.

The Lagos-based cleric spoke during the cross over service at The Church’s auditorium in Ogba, Lagos, on Monday morning.

Bakare said God has instructed him to run for president and lead the nation to prosperity, but has not being told him the exact time, adding that the Lord said “I will make it happen in due course”.

“I heard the Lord say to me, politics is not over for you, there is still one thing left for you to do; run for president.He knows i don’t have the wherewithal, any structure, but God said he will make it happen” Bakare told the church.

“And He said to me, I will work it out myself. I will make it happen in due course. Please trust me, I lie not in the Holy Ghost. This is not easy for me to share with you. I shared this with you, so that you can pray along with me, It appears destiny is calling and the time is at hand” he added.

Former Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Azubuike Ihejirika (retd), has revealed that about 30,000 soldiers have no accommodation.

Gen. Ihejirika, said the situation had forced army authorities to keep troops fighting Boko Haram insurgents for as long as three years in the North East, whereas they ought to spend between nine months and one year there.

To solve the accommodation problem, Ihejirika told Sun that 50 percent of funds approved for construction in the North East should be channeled into renovating military barracks and construction of new ones.

He said: “More barracks need to be built. Within the three and half years I was in office, we expanded the strength of the army by, at least, 21,000, but we did not build accommodation for the 21,000.

“We built new barracks leading to new accommodations for, at least, 5,000 people; what of the other 16,000? And since I left office, more people have been recruited, so, any fund available for the counter insurgency, a good proportion of that money, if possible, fifty 50 percent, should go to rehabilitation of barracks and construction of new ones, to accommodate the, perhaps, up to 30,000, soldiers currently not properly accommodated.

“Today, they are engaged, tomorrow, they will be disengaged and they will go back to the barracks.

“Due to inadequate accommodation, rotation of troops is difficult. We now have troops in the battle area for two or three years; so, that has to do with welfare of troops generally.”

On the recent order by the chief of army staff to officers and soldiers of the Nigerian army to learn the three major Nigerian languages of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, Ihejirika, who said there was nothing wrong with the directive, explained that knowledge of local languages enhanced unity in operations and reduces mutual suspicion between the civil populace and the military that operate in the area.

The former army chief described the extension of tenure of the Defence and service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari as “bad business for sponsors and sympathisers of the Boko Haram terrorists” operating within and outside the country.